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Tara Moore, PhD Joins Avellino Labs as R&D Director

Avellino Labs to Pioneer the Development of Cornea Gene Therapy

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 30, 2016 /CNW/ -- Avellino Labs, developer of the first and only commercially available genetic test for corneal health, today announced that Tara Moore, PhD has joined the company as R&D Director overseeing all of the company's global research programs, with special emphasis on gene therapy.

Professor Moore is currently the Director of the Biomedical Research Institute as well as Group Leader of Vision Science Research in the School of Biomedical Science at Ulster University. A Harvard graduate with a wealth of experience in working with universities and laboratories across the UK, Europe and the USA, Tara has made tremendous advances in progressing novel diagnoses and treatments for blinding eye diseases. The focus of her research is the optimization of gene silencing and gene editing to target the causative mutation in a personalized medicine approach to the treatment or prevention of corneal dystrophy. Avellino Labs welcomes Tara's unique expertise in molecular biology combined with two decades of ophthalmology research and use of novel preclinical human models to advance the translation of new therapies to patients. She has published over 100 peer reviewed international research articles, numerous book chapters, two books and manages a team of students and scientists in her university laboratory.

"I am excited and delighted to join Avellino Labs at this time of incredible growth and discovery. Working with the team already assembled at Avellino Labs, we plan to revolutionize the practice of medicine in ophthalmology by developing novel tools for the detection, treatment, and possible cure for anterior eye disease using state-of-the-art technology," commented Professor Moore.

"We are thrilled to have Professor Moore join our efforts. She brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion to our company," stated Avellino Labs Chairman and Founder, Gene Lee. "She will be a tremendous asset in achieving our goal to deliver personalized medicine to doctors and patients."

About Avellino Labs Avellino Labs has developed the first and only commercially available genetic testing system for corneal health. Currently, the Universal Test detects the TGFBI mutations that are responsible for Granular Corneal Dystrophy type 1 (GCD1), Granular Corneal Dystrophy type 2 (GCD2), Lattice Corneal Dystrophy type 1 (LCD1), Reis-Bucklers Corneal Dystrophy (RBCD), and Thiel Behnke Corneal Dystrophy (TBCD). Based on the test's results, patients and their physician can make an informed decision when considering vision correction surgery. Avellino Labs' proprietary genetic diagnostics system provides fast, safe and affordable DNA analysis. The company continues to develop new applications for genetic analysis of various ocular conditions, with the ultimate goal of gene therapy for eye disease.